MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik issued a Royal directive to allocate 11 seats for Omani women to ensure permanent representation of women in Majlis Ash'shura for each governorate. The reservation of the seats comes as a part to enhance the base of community participation, which was received with enthusiasm and motivation. Moreover, this vital step demonstrates HM’s confidence in women's ability to contribute to the nation’s development.
HH Sayyidah Hujaija bint Jaifer al Said, Chairperson of the Association for Children with Disabilities, said, “The Royal directive will ensure that women’s voices are heard and represented in the decision-making process.” She added, "I believe this decision will benefit not only Omani women but also Oman as a whole by promoting greater participation, diversity of views, and national progress."
Dr Noor al Busaidy, President of Oman Diabetes Association, reflected, "This is truly wonderful news and a proud moment for Oman. It reflects the continued commitment of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik in supporting Omani women and ensuring their voices are represented in shaping the future of our country." She said, “Omani women have never been absent from the journey of national development. Over the years, they have proven themselves in every field—education, healthcare, business, research, public service, and many others. We see their contributions every day, and their success has become an integral part of Oman’s progress.”
Fathiya al Hinai, former Radio Director, commented, "I am very pleased that they are ensuring women's presence in Majlis Ash'shura. Because in the last few sessions, there were no women elected and I felt sorry for that. But now this is a good directive and I am extremely pleased.”
For Shamsa bint Hamed al Harthy, Director-General of Dar Al Atta and former official at the Ministry of Social Development, this is a dream come true. "I highly value His Majesty Sultan Haitham’s directives to allocate an additional seat for women in each wilayat, amounting to 11 seats, while also allowing women to compete for the general seats.” "In other words, women will have one designated seat in each of the 11 wilayats while also being eligible to compete for general seats.
This represents a significant qualitative shift in the electoral journey of Omani women." As a specialist in social and developmental affairs, and someone who has worked extensively on women’s and children’s rights issues, and who has served on both the National Committee for Child Rights and the National Committee for Women’s Rights under CEDAW, Shamsa said that this was a longstanding demand.
Basma al Rajhi, Radio broadcaster, expressed, "I was overjoyed by this news. It's high time there was a mechanism to support women's presence in the Majlis Ash'shura, a mechanism that will bolster Oman Vision 2040 for sustainable development." She explained that enhancing women's political participation will undoubtedly contribute to highlighting issues from a fresh perspective at both the local and national levels, giving women a greater opportunity to participate in decision-making.
Awatif al Balushi, media specialist, said it was a moment of pride. “As an Omani woman, I see the Royal Decree allocating 11 additional seats in Majlis Ash'shura as a historic milestone that fills us with immense pride. This visionary step deeply validates our capabilities and empowers us to serve our nation directly from every governorate. It is a powerful testament to our leadership’s belief in our role as equal partners in shaping Oman’s future under "Oman Vision 2040." The Royal initiative aims to strengthen women’s presence in legislative work and enrich parliamentary deliberations, which marks a new phase in expanding women’s political participation. Consequently, it will lead to highlighting local female leaders and create opportunities for them to contribute significantly in public policymaking. The move is expected to positively stimulate the participation of in future elections, establishing a stronger culture of political engagement and equal opportunities. Most importantly, it will continue the government’s steady development that target investments on human capital to empower national talents, and strengthening the role of Omani women as indispensable partners in shaping the present and building the future.
For Dr Fatema bint Yousuf al Balushi, Chief Executive Officer of the Omani Women’s Academy and Omani Researcher Specialised in Women’s Empowerment, the Royal directives represent a landmark national step that reflects the Sultanate of Oman’s enduring commitment to inclusive participation and balanced representation within national institutions, in line with the aspirations of Oman Vision 2040.
“This decision underscores the confidence bestowed upon Omani women and reaffirms the leadership’s belief in their role as active partners in development and nation building. It also recognises the significant contributions made by Omani women across political, economic, social, scientific and professional spheres,” she said.
She said that the move is expected to further strengthen women’s presence in legislative work and enrich parliamentary deliberations through greater diversity of perspectives and expertise, thereby contributing to the formulation of more responsive legislation and public policies while reinforcing the principle of national partnership in decision making.
“From a research perspective in the field of women’s empowerment, this decision extends far beyond increasing the number of seats. It marks a new phase in expanding women’s political participation and ensuring female representation across all governorates of the Sultanate of Oman. It will also help highlight local female leaders and create opportunities for the emergence of a new generation of competent women capable of contributing effectively to parliamentary work and public policymaking,” Dr Fatema said.
Dr Aisha bint Said al Ghabshi, Member of the State Council, valued the Royal directive issued by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to allocate an additional seat for women in each governorate (a total of 11 seats that will be added to the general seats available for competition).
"This is an indication of the attention that the Sultanate of Oman, led by His Majesty the Sultan, accords to the status of women. It shows appreciation for women’s role in the nation-building process," she said.
Dr Aisha added that the Royal directive embodies a recognition of women’s knowledge, expertise and wisdom that qualify them to participate in decision-making. The move empowers female competencies and contributes to enhancing the role of women in various spheres of development, she noted.
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